Over the last four years, Benny The Butcher has established himself as one of the hottest and most respected MCs in Hip-Hop. With projects like Tana Talk 3, Burden Of Proof, and two volumes of The Plugs I Met, Benny has adhered to the Griselda formula while transcending the underground scene he represents. In the time it takes to get a college degree, Benny went from an up-and-coming voice in the DIY scene to a prominent collaborator for J. Cole, Rick Ross, Pusha-T, Black Thought, Lil Wayne, and Drake.

This week (March 11), Benny is releasing Tana Talk 4, one of the most anticipated albums of a blossoming 2022. The Butcher already unveiled one of the most potent songs in many months with the J. Cole-assisted “Johnny P’s Caddy.” Gearing up for his Daringer and Alchemist-produced follow-up to 2018’s TT3, Benny hit The L.A. Leakers with some freestyle bars that display his pedigree.

No MC Has Been Better Than Benny The Butcher The Last 2 Years

“This the part that I love,” Benny tells Justin Credible and DJ Sour Milk. The Butcher opens with lyrics about keeping his operation lean and his money long. “Def Jam, and we plan on changing the score / This time around, the street sh*t gonna get some label support / Thankful for legends who paved the way, but ain’t get awards / ‘Cause every hustler at the table done took some game from New York,” he spits. While TT4 arrives through Griselda/EMPIRE, Benny flaunts his Snoop Dogg-brokered major label deal. It’s a fitting move while rapping to DMX’s “Ni**az Done Started Something,” the Dame Grease production from 1998’s It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot. He continues, “Look who’s back, even better / Joggin’ laps in Margiela’s / I’m on every music platform; book me back on Coachella / Walk in these shoes, your leg’ll prob’ly snap like McGregor’s / Fresh out the penitentiary, took a convict’s advice / Turned a soft brick of white to a long kiss goodnight / A hustler’s God-given right / I will accomplish, but regardless of hype / I’m better than ni**as that y’all said was nice.” Benny flips to a compound rhyme for emphasis.

No matter the growth, Benny refuses to disown his speckled past. That sincerity and authenticity set him apart from so many artists. After warning the women seeking a come-up on Benny, he turns to rappers: “Put my sh*t out in a week, and they gon’ learn every line / With these verses of mine, sh*t gon’ work every time / One point something out the label, and I’m worth every dime / When I drop, sh*t gettin’ uglier than your first baby mom.” In the tradition of Big L, Lord Finesse, Big Daddy Kane, and somebody who is very much in the mind of all Hip-Hop fans on March 9—Biggie Smalls—Benny uses humor to accent the hard rhymes. Recently, AFH‘s What’s The Headline podcast included The Butcher in the 10 MCs who will take over the 2020s list.

Conway & Benny Torch Their Fire In The Booth Freestyle With Hot Verses (Video)

#BonusBeat: AFH’s most recent interview with Benny The Butcher, covering The Plugs I Met: